By Cris Chinaka
Zimbabweans are using mobile phones to spice up their lives with a bit of humor and take their minds off the daily grind of life in the shattered economy, scrounging for scant food and fuel.
Behind the veil of a state dominated media, packed with official lines on the problems facing the southern African country which leave no room for lighthearted tales, Zimbabwe's urban population is resorting to the Internet and short message services via mobile phones to spread some laughter.
At least once a day, a mobile phone user is likely to receive a humorous SMS, ranging from a dirty joke to a tickle over the lives of Zimbabwe's rulers.
One joke which has circulated at fuel queues among motorists struggling with shortages and buying the scarce commodity at exorbitant black market rates is an invitation to make haste to a fuel garage which supposedly has copious amounts of the commodity.
"Do you need petrol or diesel? No queue and take some containers if you wish. COST is pump price," the message begins, leaving the desperate motorist almost stunned with relief. But of course there is a catch, as the SMS continues: "RUSH now and see a guy called Al Sayid at Number 13 Shaduuf Road, Tripoli, Libya."
Libya had been Zimbabwe's largest fuel supplier before it cut off the deal three years ago after Mugabe's government failed to pay its bills.
And then there is the greeting message designed to poke fun at the harried motorist with an empty fuel tank: "Greetings from the proud owner of 50 litres of fuel."
A large chunk of the jokes are brimming with sexual innuendo.
In one such tale, a shopper walks out of a leading Harare supermarket and stuffs his hand down the front of his pants, prompting the female security guard at the exit to ask what he has slipped into his trousers.
Irritated, the man shoots back, "Are you trying to tell me this shop now sells penises?"
Zimbabwe's political leaders are frequently the butt of some of the jokes, but people rarely spread these outside their trusted circle of friends and family for fear of landing in jail for breaching tough security laws.
Mugabe, 81, and in power since Zimbabwe won independence from Britain in 1980, approved the punitive legislation three years ago in the face of serious political challenges and an economic crisis many blame on government mismanagement.
Scores of people have been hauled before the courts on charges of contravening the laws, which include a ban on political rallies without police permission and insulting or undermining the authority of the president, an offence punishable by a fine or a jail term of up to a year.
Copyright 2005 Reuters Limited.
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